Pope Francis' Simplicity and His Easter Message 2013: I Love This New Pope, and I'm Not Catholic

I'm not Catholic, but as a Christian I loved the Easter message given by the new Pope, Pope Francis, yesterday from the Vatican.  Read the complete text online, here is a brief excerpt:

... So this is the invitation which I address to everyone: Let us accept the grace of Christ's Resurrection! Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish. 

And so we ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world.

I hope that I'm not insulting any Catholics out there, as I share my impression as a Protestant that this new Pope sure is inspiring to me.  I like that he's appreciative of living a simple life, though I understand this is causing some controversy among traditionalists in the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis may be making waves by foregoing things like wearing the ermine lined cape as he debuted as the man chosen to serve as the next Pope.  However, I have found there is a spiritual aspect to living a simple life, and I cannot help but smile as I read more and more about Pope Francis apparently sharing this appreciation.

And I share his prayer -- that we all be renewed by God's mercy, that we may all accept the love of Jesus, and all that Pope Francis spoke about on Easter 2013.

God bless you, Dear Reader.  And God bless Pope Francis, love him!!!

William Shatner Sings Iron Man - He's 80. What Are You Doing Today?

Simplifying your life means changing the way you live.  That's not easy, if you are doing it right.  No matter who you are, what your age, or why you've decided to simplify.  So, here's some encouragement for you.

Whenever you get bummed or think you're too old for something, or think it's too late to pursue your dream, or change your life: think on this ....

Go to YouTube to watch a video of William Shatner, 80 years old, in a studio, recording Iron Man by Black Sabbath.  80.  Born, according to IMDb, on March 22, 1931.

If you haven't read Shatner's biography, then maybe you don't know about how he has been down for the count more than once and picked himself back up again.  With a smile on his face.  He's been homeless, living out of a pickup truck.  He's come home to find his wife has drown in their swimming pool.  Serious stuff - and yet, here he is.

I find this encouraging and it puts a smile on my face.  Hope it encourages you, too, Dear Reader.

Alice's Bucket List - You Need to Follow This Blog

Alice is 15 years old and dying from cancer, and it's not a fake story or something from LifetimeTV. 

It's real, it's happening, and to read the posts from this optimistic, courageous, and wonderful child is something from which we can all benefit.

And her mom is pretty darn impressive, too. 

Alice's Bucket List. 

The Refrigerator List : Birds, Bats, and the Occasional Beast

The old man next door, so old that his skin is almost translucent and his hands look like gnarled twigs, loves his back yard.  When he's not sitting outside on his porch, you can see his long white head watching things as he sits, drinking forbidden coffee, at his kitchen table.  An Albert Einstein haircut, a quiet smile.

A great neighbor. 

It's nice to see him roaming around early each morning, refilling his hummingbird bottles and squirrel feeders and putting out food for the feral cats.  Yes, even though we all know that that feral cat food also attracts our neighborhood raccoons and possums - when they're not dining on finds in the alley garbage cans.  (I've heard that mice and rats like this stuff, but our herd of wild Tom Cats keeps us from having that problem.) 

It's because of our neighbor that our family has found another fun experience in simple living.  We've become aware of nature in a new way.  Not from growing our own little veggies or waiting for rain, but from all the creatures that routinely come to visit our white-haired neighbor.

We've created a Refrigerator List.  Rules are you have to see something at least three times before it gets to go on the List; however, you can note sightings of which you're keeping track.  (Right now, we've seen a black bird with a yellow beak, but we're not sure what it is.)

It's got the kids on alert in the evenings after dinner and it's fun to researching some strange birds and things we've spotted (escapees from the zoo?); and we're listening in the quiet to all the small sounds that are really there in the dusk.  It's not really all that quiet, if you take the time to listen.

May 24, 2011 List

Red-shouldered Hawk (we see this guy so often we've named him Harry)
Mockingbird
White-winged Dove
Pigeon
Sparrow
Cardinal
Blue Jay
Grackel
Bell's Vireo songbird
Raccoon
Yellow-headed Verdin
Scissortail
Hummingbird
Mexican Freetail Bat
Thrasher
Squirrel
Robin
Western Kingbird
Feral Cat
Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

looking at: black bird with yellow beak, white birds (big) that fly overhead in pairs, brown noisy squirrel-like animal - chipmunk?

Hallelujah Flash Mob 2010 - Wonderful Thing to See

Hoarding: a Lifestyle in Opposition to Simple Living

I admit it, I do catch the occaional episode of Hoarding: Buried Alive on TLC TV.  I couldn't tell you when it airs, but I can tell you that everytime I watch the show, it makes me get up and dust or vacuum or do a load of laundry.  Something.  Maybe part of this is because (personal revelation, dear reader!) my mother, looking back, was obviously a hoarder.  So was my first husband's mother.  Wow, there's some food for thought.

Me?  I don't hoard.  Maybe living this lifestyle of voluntary simplicity in some way is reacting to that background - that's sounding plausible.  All I know is that organizing and simplifying seems smart and wise and it's a peaceful, joyful life.

Hoarding - The Reasons for It

As a result of the show, and as I pondered this personal connection with hoarders, I did go surfing around investigating hoarding.  I learned hoarding is a compulsion, with both psychological and physical components.  I learned that lots of professionals discuss anger and anxiety as emotions felt by haorders when faced with the idea of throwing anything away.

I'm not arguing with any of that -- from my experience, this all sounds true.  However, from my experience, there's something that isn't being discussed here.  From what I know of hoarding, it's a twisted way of dealing with a major loss.  It's a grief thing.  It's got a depression component and a thread of denial runs through it, but at its core - its a strange way of fighting against loss. 

Why share this with you, Dear Reader?  Because There's Simplifying Lesson Here for Us All

In the process of simplifying your life - be it downsizing, going green, living frugally or living slowly or moving to a one-income household, or expatriating - and there are lots of varieties of simple living, some of those hoarder reactions seem familiar.

There's the stuff.  Stuff you don't want to get rid of, even if you don't need it and will never use it.  There are all those boxes of memories - the kid's school papers, your old college textbooks - that need to be culled. 

Letting go of stuff is hard.  It involves loss.  Simplifying is hard.  There's an emotional component to the process.  It's worth it, but in no way is it easy.  Simplifying your life may not be simple at all. 

God bless you, Dear Reader.

FOXBusiness Offers 7 Steps to a Single Income Family: Is Downsizing Becoming Acceptable?

Today, FoxBusiness has a great article entitled, "7 Steps to Becoming a One-Income Family" that really does give substantive help in moving from a two-income household to a one-income family.

What I like best is the end of the article, where the expert points out that American society predominates with instant gratification and a pressure to spend - but that the ability to simplify things is doable, and he appears to say there is power in it.

Which those of us who have been simplifying voluntarily for years know - and have been sharing with anyone who cares to listen, for years now.

Power. And freedom.

Maybe if the main stream media is writing articles like this, frugal living and voluntary simplicity won't suffer such a stigma in the future. Downsizing is cool now? Wow. That's great.

What They Signed on July 4th: Have You Read the Declaration of Independence?

Here, on the Fourth of July, as we prepare picnics and barbeques and await the fireworks display, let's ponder the reason for this holiday: the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence 234 years ago.  Those choosing a simplicity lifestyle appreciate freedom and taking action for positive change.  We're independent in thought and deed: qualities that are truly American.  Happy Fourth of July to us all!

Full text of the Declaration of Independence follows:

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. (continues after "read more)

John Wooden Wisdom: The Seven Point Creed and Wooden's Two Sets of Threes

John Wooden (1910 -2010)
Shown at his 96th Birthday Celebration
Wikipedia public doman

Renowned basketball coach John Wooden died yesterday (1910 - 2010). Here is his Seven Point Creed, which Coach Wooden's father wrote, and gave to his young son when he graduated from grammar school:
 

1. Be true to yourself.
2. Make each day your masterpiece.
3. Help others.
4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Coach Wooden kept the original card where his father had written this message in his wallet, until the paper crumbled away; then, Wooden replaced it with a new card that contained the exact same seven life lessons. 

According to John Wooden, he never met a greater man than his dad.  What a wonderful thing for this accomplished leader to say, right? 

In an interview that John Wooden gave back in 1996, he gave some other pearls of wisdom he learned from his dad, that he called the "Two Sets of Threes":

"Never lie, never cheat and never steal."

"Don't whine, don't complain and don't alibi."

Rest in Peace, Coach Wooden.

Seeking Wisdom? Read a Chapter of Proverbs Every Day

Reading a chapter from the book of Proverbs every day is an old-time tradition -- the fact that there are 32 chapters is such a nice overlap with the monthly calendar, after all.  And, it's not hard to do -- the chapters are short (though there's a lot in them to ponder).  In fact, BiblePlan.Org will email you a Proverbs chapter every day (whichever version you prefer) if you subscribe for free to their online service. 

Today's chapter (May 2nd, so Proverbs 2) is a great example. I've cut and pasted a version of the chapter below (from the Bible Gateway), and I've also taken out the standard margins and individual verse references. 

Why?  Not only does it read easier this way, but it's closer to how the author wrote it.  Those verse references throughout the Holy Bible are great for organization, but I find that they can be a stumbling block to me when I'm reading ... so I will often cut and paste portions into a document and take the numbers out.  It's interesting to see what comes through when I do this, and I thought I'd share this learning tool with you, too, Dear Reader. 

Reading Proverbs and Voluntary Simplicity

How does this help in living a simple life?  Live a life of voluntary simplicity means going against the flow of today's modern American culture - and sad to say, there's a lot of foolishness out there.  Probably not new, right? 

For me, starting the day out with Proverbs helps keep me grounded.  It helps me to remember that as I make choices during the day, that I need to ask myself "is this wise?"  and to monitor what's influencing me.  As dedicated to this lifestyle as I am -- and I walk this talk -- I'm only human and I can be influenced into purchasing stuff I don't need, or buying some fast food because I'm running late and there's so much left on the task list. 

Reading Proverbs is a practical tool that really helps me.  As amazing as that is, as I sit here on May 2, 2010, reading words written by King Solomon, son of David, ancestor of Jesus, around 2500 years ago. 

Sidenote

What I find interesting as I write this is how I have come to take for granted how practical it is to live as a follower of Christ -- something that I think gets lost a lot, at least by me.  Living a simple life is living a Christian life from my perspective.  More on this pondering in another post, on another day.....

Here is Proverbs 2 (New Living Translation):

The Benefits of Wisdom


My child, listen to what I say,and treasure my commands.
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.

Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.
Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.

Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.

Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted.

These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths.
They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.
Their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong.

Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.
She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God.
Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to the grave.
The man who visits her is doomed. He will never reach the paths of life.

Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous.
For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.
But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted.

Image:  The Wisdom of Solomon by James Joseph Tissot (1836-2902), public domain, Wikimedia Commons.

Simplifying Means Changing Your Life: Read Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

Simplying life means changing your lifestyle.  Changing the way you live isn't done in a day, and it isn't done successfully without some major internal alterations.

You have to change your attitude.  You have to change what you value.  You have to change the way you think.

For me, that means reading Joyce Meyer's Battlefield of the Mind and then re-reading it periodically.  You can even buy it as an ebook these days (Barnes & Nobles offers this version for $8.99; the paperback is a couple of dollars more, new.)

Yes, this is a Christian book.  Essentially, Joyce Meyer is telling you that the battle for your life is between your ears.  Lessons are provided, founded in Scripture, that teach you how to change the way that you think, to recognize and tear down strongholds in your thinking, to know what thoughts and thought patterns the devil uses to thwart you, and first and foremost, this book teaches you to start thinking about what you're thinking about.  To watch what and how you're thinking.

Using the 40 Years in the Wilderness, Battlefield of the Mind identifies "wilderness mentalities" that can be wrong ways of thinking - and instructs you on how to win the battle of getting those ways of thinking out of your head.

If you're ready for change, then you're ready for the fight.  Go buy Battlefield today.  Get a used copy to save money, but this isn't a book to check out from the library.  You'll want to have this as a life tool, something to take notes in -- something to go back and re-read every so often. 

It's that helpful, it's that good.

Peaceful Places - Find Your Own Place of Peace

Living a simple life does not mean living a slow, sluggardly one.  For instance, no one lives a life more simple that the Amish - and they're busy from 5 am to bedtime.  (By the way, lots of good info on the Amish has been collected by Amish,Net though the Amish themselves, of course, aren't on the web.)

Living a peaceful life takes some work.

There's the daily check on what's going on -- strife can sneak in when you least expect it.  Letting go of anger, forgiving those who've done wrong to you (which doesn't mean you're a doormat allowing repetitive abuse, by the way), overcoming frustration, are all things that are continual tasks when you're trying to move forward in life. 

Having a personal spot, a place of peaceful surroundings, can be a great big help. 

Long ago, back when I was living the Materialistic Lifestyle, if you'd asked me about a peaceful place I would have responded that for me, it was the beach and that I went there a couple of times a year.  A good friend felt the same way, but the answer was the Rocky Mountains. 

In stressful times, having these vacation spots as the only place that you can find a peaceful spot isn't enough  because they are too hard to reach, too far away.  You need to know Your Place of Peace in advance of a Stressful Time (because, Dear Reader, they are periodically guaranteed), that you can access almost immediately.  You need a nearby place of peace that you can incorporate into your routine.  

What's a Personal Place of Peace?

As a Christian, I obviously include prayer as one of the big things that happens in a place of peace.  However, it's more than a prayer spot. 

A personal place of peace is an oasis from everything else in your life where you can get some distance, mentally as well as spiritually, and hopefully, some perspective. 

It's a place where there is no additional input -- other than beauty -- which allows you to gain control over your emotions, get a stress break, and put a halt to running from problems or reacting instead of being proactive about things.  You're there alone, by the way -- a golf game or a drink at a bar are NOT places of peace. 

Also, it needs to be close to home or work, where you can reach it within 10 to 15 minutes by car or foot.  Sometimes, your place of peace can help you just by knowing you have this Secret Oasis nearby -- imagining it during a meeting, a traffic jam, or a family fight can really, really help. 

What You Take With You

Maybe you take a Bible, maybe you bring a Journal.  Maybe you listen to music (but it needs to be appropriate, not distracting).  Books that bring you encouragement and supportive thoughts can be helpful (from Joel Osteen to Erma Bombeck to Shakespearean Sonnets, this is a personal thing).  Sure, you can have something to drink or eat (if you're there awhile, this may be a prerequisite, or all you'll be thinking about is how great a cheeseburger sounds). 

Where do You go?

Ah, the big question.  You, Dear Reader, have to go FIND your personal place of peace.  Consider yourself on a mission.  It can be a public park, a garden, a museum, the rooftop of a skyscraper ... it could be the zoo.  I have a friend who has a zoo membership, and regularly leaves his office to walk the zoo just to think and pray and get "re-grounded."

How he can eat there (he brings a snack) is beyond me because the wild animal poop smell cannot be escaped no matter how great the San Antonio Zoo is about keeping things tidy. Which just goes to show, one person's place of peace is another person's place of distracting smelly elephant poop. 

Worthy of note: this is a man who is a position of tremendous power, a Big Kahuna guy, and he makes a lot of jokes about how he escapes one zoo by going to another.  It works for him.

Drives are good, they may start out with that fantasy of just driving and driving until you hit a Coast, East or West, but for peaceful places they aren't the best because you do have to be safe while driving a vehicle that weighs around 3500 lbs.  A place of peace can involve crying, or yelling, the release of emotion -- and you need to be free to allow those things to escape you without being worried about Big Rigs on the road.  Better: a pretty drive that leads you to a pretty place.  Maybe a great view -- you can stay in the car, just don't keep driving forever. 

Places of Peace are Private.  One last thing, Dear Reader -- when you've found your place of peace, don't blabber about it to everyone.  Keep it your secret oasis, it's part of its power: knowing that you're in a safe spot for a mental and spiritual breather where you won't be interrupted is important.  Plus, it's fun to have your own SECRET PLACE in the world. 

Image:  Female African Bush elephant (named “Duchess”) at Paignton Zoo, Paignton, Devon. Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Food, Inc. is a Must-See Documentary - and You Can Watch it For Free

If you have Netflix, you can watch Food, Inc. anytime -- it's offered at no charge at their site.  If you don't subscribe to Netflix, then you can watch it (also at no charge) at TVDuck.

And I'm recommended that you do watch this documentary.  Not during dinner, or after any meal. It's not pretty, and it hasn't been made for entertainment.

But you NEED TO KNOW where all that stuff at the local grocery store comes from, and how different it is from the farms of yesteryear.  I remember visiting my aunt and uncle's place south of town, feeding chickens and playing with the cute, tiny piglets. 

It's not my uncle and aunt's farm anymore.  Food, Inc. is a must-see.  Please watch it.

Journaling - 5 Reasons a Handwritten, Personal Journal Can Be a Wonderful Thing

Today, I suppose that your first thoughts of journaling are typing something into a blog, or a word processing document of some sort.  That might be fine for you -- there are lots of people doing just that, blogs began as personal journals (web logs). 

However, I am going to suggest that a more productive and rewarding method of journaling would be to put pen to paper.  Pretty paper, in a bound book (these are so popular these days that you can find nice ones for a buck at DollarTree, much less the beautiful collections at bookstores and places like PaperPosey.com and Rosetti Designs). 

Why?  

1.  It's still more convenient than anything with a keyboard. 
A paper journal lets you write whereever and whenever you choose to do so.  Waiting for the kids, sitting in the car?  Write in your journal.  Insomnia?  Write in your journal.  Sightseeing on vacation?  Write in your journal.  You get the idea. 

2.  It lets you draw things within your words.
Sometimes, the doodles in your borders or the illustrations within your paragraphs tell you more on the re-read than you realize as it's happening.  Lots of dollar signs, guess what's really on your mind?  Someone's initials or name duplicated along the margins?  Ditto.  Also, I've drawn things I don't want to forget -- the bend in a trail that's not marked, etc. -- they may not be true artistic achievements, but they do serve to refresh my memory well enough.

3.  You can glue things within the book, making it much more of a memory book.
Movie ticket stubs, wine bottle labels, you name it.  As the years go by, these little things make your journal akin to a scrapbook, perhaps even a work of art. 

4.  Writing a journal is good for your health.
It lessens stress - you can vent as long as you'd like to those journal pages. It seems that writing by hand in your journal somehow not only helps you release inner turmoil and stress by the words you are placing on the page, but also in the physical act of writing them down. It's like a tonic, something that the keyboard doesn't give you. According to some research, journaling actually lessens the symptoms of asthma and arthritis, too.

5.  Routinely journaling what's happening in your life has many other long-term benefits.
Keeping your own journal over time becomes chronicling your own personal history.  Your vacation journals reveal new things to you when re-read years later, as well as bringing back wonderful memories.  For example, I had forgotten how great I thought it was that so many folk in Paris walk the streets with long baguettes of fresh bread popping out of pockets, totes, and bags.  No plastic wrap, no lunch bag.  Just a loaf of bread, ready to go.  Re-reading my Paris journals (I spent some time there, awhile ago), I was reminded.  It made me smile.

Personally, I've found it also helps in planning goals, problem solving, and letting go of the past. There's nothing like reading a journal that a few years old to see how far you've come, and to laugh at yourself about how serious you thought a problem was, once - another molehill you assumed was a mountain.

Finally, journaling helps me realize how blessed I am, and what all God has done for me.  (And is doing.)  Sometimes it's a lot easier to see that pathway of answered prayers when you're reading over those old journal pages, and it's such a wonderful, amazing thing to see your life is on a path, there's a pattern there.

Gratitude Is A Powerful Thing - Being Grateful Can Change Your Life

Gratitude, I've found, is a powerful thing.  When I was younger - working as a lawyer in a swanky downtown law firm - I didn't think about being grateful very often.  I was too busy, living that anything-but-simple lifestyle.  And if you'd asked me, I probably would have thought it was a sweet idea, somewhat corny, maybe I'd get around to it later.  I probably would have put "remember to be grateful" on my To Do List.

Today, I know better.  Being grateful for what you have is a very wise thing to do.  It lessens your stress, it helps you focus, it makes you happy and content.  Yes, no matter how bad a crisis you are in, stopping to be thankful for what you have at this very moment is important.

I also think it's essential to integrity, and honor, and courage ... but that's too much for this little blog post.

So, how to be grateful?  There are lots of books out there, both Christian and not, that give advice on learning this gratitude habit.

For me, it's a matter of every morning (for sure, because you start the day out powerfully) and periodically throughout the day, I thank God for as much as I can possibly recognize as a good thing in my life, and nothing can be too trivial.  Here's some of the things that I thank God for:

• hot water
• a shower
• shampoo and conditioner
• a washer and dryer 
• a washer and dryer IN MY HOUSE
• a roof over my head and sound walls that keep the rain out
• that peaceful, cozy feeling of listening to the rain falling outside, while I'm toasty warm under the covers
• my bed 
• my pretty quilt and comfy sheets
• coffee
• a fridge 
• electricity
• the ability to think
• the ability to pray
• that He listens to me
• that He gave us the Bible
• that there are churches and missionaries and charities to help people
• that I can see, and hear, and speak, and think
• that I'm healthy
• that my loved ones (including my pups) are healthy
• that I write for a living
• that I love what I do for a living 
• that I live in the city and state and country that I do 
• for jokes
• for laughter
• for books
• for the ability to read

... well, you get the idea.  This is all about gratitude, now.  My prayers asking that someone be helped, or comforted, etc. aren't part of this topic - so, yeah, I talk to God a lot when you start breaking all this stuff down.  Good thing He created patience, right?

However, the power of gratitude isn't exclusive to followers of Christ.  There is an energy that comes from stopping to survey where you are, in the very present moment, and see everything that is good in that moment and appreciate it, that is positive and electrifying.  And clarifying.

Really want to rally yourself into moving forward into a happy day?  Go thru all you can think about to be grateful for this very day, and ponder Haiti for a minute.  Now, all that consideration of electricity, and a coffee pot, and hot water for a shower doesn't seem so trivial does it?

Things are good, and everything's going to be alright.  Get out there and live a quality day!!!!

For more on gratitude:

1.  Books to Read

Gratitude - A Daily Journal by Jack Canfield

Thank You Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You by Deborah Norville

Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DuMoss

2. Studies to Review

Emmons, R. A. & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377-389.


________________________________________________________________________________
"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." - 1 Thess. 16-19 NLT

5 Things to Do When It Gets Hard to Live A Simple Life

We are in tough economic times, and combined with that, we've got terrorists roaming the country and news that the likelihood of another major attack within our borders isn't a matter of if, but when. When you add to that the stress of changing your lifestyle to one where you're living more simply, things can get dicey pretty fast.

It's not easy to take the road less traveled.

Family members and friends aren't necessarily supportive, and there are lots of folk out there who just don't get why you're not wanting to go to the mall, drive the latest model car, have an IPhone. Yes, Dear Reader, living simply will mean that some people will mock you, some will pity you ("the poor thing, she probably can't afford a smartphone"), some will start to avoid you.

I think this reaction is true whenever you change your life. I know this is all true when you're voluntarily simplifying -- when it's a proactive decision on your part to change and live more simply. It can make you sad for a bit. Why don't they get it? Why aren't they happy for me? It can be downright depressing for those who are having to be frugal because of economic downturns, those forced into simplicity. Why can't they be supportive? Why can't they be kind?

It's Tough For All of Us

On a good day, it can be easy to laugh at the lemming who feels sorry for you because you're not living just like he (or she) is ... you can just shake your head and go your merry way. Here in the South, we tend to add "God bless his heart," to this. It helps.

On a bad day, when you can't think of what to cook with that rice or the kids are whining about not having a Wii or the car breaks down and you remember what it was like to always be driving something flashy and new -- well, it gets harder.

It's especially horrible when you don't have the money to pay the utilities, or the mortgage, or the car payment, or the doctor bill. That's when you're cruising close to Despair. Dark, black despair that can settle down for a long visit.

So, what to do when it's getting to be very hard to live this way?

Dear Reader, I don't begin to think that I know all the answers to this question, and I welcome your contributions in the comments. Having been on this road for awhile, I'm sharing what I've learned so far when it's a Bad Day at Black Rock for me:

Don't Doubt.

1. No second-guessing. For me, voluntary simplicity was - and is - the right decision and I'd be foolish to ignore all the lessons I've learned by living simply. I am committed to this lifestyle because it's wise and it's smart. I don't want to be a marketing pawn, etc.  And, importantly, this is part of my Faith Walk.  I'm here because I know it's where God wants me to be. 

Pray.

2. Pray. Every morning, I ask God for as much wisdom, discernment, grace, favor, power, love, and self-control as I can possibly handle. I ask for His Will, not mine, in my life. I thank Him for everything that I can think of that morning (which can be hard when you're burdened down), and I ask for help. Help! is a great prayer. Sometimes, I pray that prayer periodically, all day long, on a bad day. (Remember, I represented abused and neglected kids in CPS cases for three years, so I have had some painfully bad days.)

Laugh.

3. Laugh. This is a tough one when you're already bummed or hurting. But you've got to laugh -- it's powerful stuff. If you can't find the humor in your current situation all on its own, then get yourself an arsenal of Funny Stuff so you've got some weaponry at the ready for times like these.

What makes tears come to your eyes may not be the same as mine. I do not understand the Three Stooges, for example. For me, I listen to Bertie Wooster's antics in audiobooks written by PG Wodehouse; I watch A Fish Called Wanda, or Monte Python and the Holy Grail. The Spam skit can get me chuckling no matter how many times I've seen it -- and I'm laughing now remembering that scene early on in the Holy Grail, Repression is Nine Tenths of the Law, ("I didn't know we had a king, I thought we were an autonomous collective.")

Do Something Proactive -- The "So There" Secret Weapon

4.  After undertaking one or all of the three steps above, then I find that it's important to get moving forward again, happily and peacefully, by actually taking action down your new lifestyle road.  Not for them, for you.  To get yourself back on course and not stuck fighting the bad vibes or muddled in anger, resentment, sadness, etc.  Again, what you do and what I do may not be the same thing.  Probably won't be.  And, you'll get more options on this list as time goes on.

For me, I go buy daisies for my desk at the wholesale florist.  I take my dogs for a walk at the park right by the zoo, because they are hilarious as they can smell and hear all the wild things and they're so brave and bold outside the big, tall, sturdy fence.  Sometimes, I'll cook up something trustworthy and invite friends over for a movie.  They'll bring stuff too, good folk that they are, and we'll all have a good time.  And, sometimes, I take a drive through the Hill Country and listen to Christian stuff -- music, or teachings, or just a reading of the Word.  Singing in the car is a really good way for me to get myself back into the fun of simple living.

Talk to Someone Who Gets It

5.  Confiding about what's going on with a trusted friend can be very freeing, too.  Just last week, I was honored when my friend Don talked with me about how some old friends who he treasured then and treasures now, are distancing themselves from him and he's hurting.  It was comforting to Don when I shared how I'd had this experience, too -- and I think it helped him just to get it out there, outside his head where things can get disproportionate in importance.  Maybe Don will lose some old friends, but in his new career path, he's already made so many new ones.  So, find yourself some friends who know what it means to change your life, and share with them your difficulty.  And, always remember -- I answer my email, so feel free to write (rkennedy at texas dot net).

Simple Inspiration & Frugal Encouragement -1: Thoreau

Times are tough and lots of people are scared. Some of them will just sit and stay that way; however, others -- like you, dear reader -- may be seeking inspiration to commit to a simple life and a frugal future, or you're already committed and maybe needing a little encouragement along the way.

So, during 2009 here at Everyday Simplicity, you will find weekly posts dedicated solely to encouragement and inspiration.

Like this one, bringing you some words from Henry David Thoreau. Now, if you want to read the entirety of Walden, you can, for free. It's on the web (the copyright has long since vanished), and it's broken down into chapters so you can take it in spurts if you'd like.

Sure, you may have studied it in college as an example of transcendentalism - but Thoreau's writing really does read as a concrete, comforting example of choosing to live a simple life.

In Walden, he begins with the first two chapters giving you, the reader, concrete information on his daily activities, like how he built his sturdy little cabin all by himself; how he tried to get going to beat the sunrise; what he ate and how he kept his perishables safe from spoilage. And, while he is journaling his progress in making a home for himself out in the wild, he shares his thoughts with you -- and it's here that you will hopefully find encouragement.

From chapter 1:

...But men labor under a mistake. The better part of the man is soon plowed into the soil for compost. By a seeming fate, commonly called necessity, they are employed, as it says in an old book, laying up treasures which moth and rust will corrupt and thieves break through and steal. It is a fool's life, as they will find when they get to the end of it, if not before....

Actually, the laboring man has not leisure for a true integrity day by day; he cannot afford to sustain the manliest relations to men; his labor would be depreciated in the market. He has no time to be anything but a machine. How can he remember well his ignorance- which his growth requires - who has so often to use his knowledge? We should feed and clothe him gratuitously sometimes, and recruit him with our cordials, before we judge of him. The finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling. Yet we do not treat ourselves nor one another thus tenderly....

Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate....

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things. ...

When we consider what, to use the words of the catechism, is the chief end of man, and what are the true necessaries and means of life, it appears as if men had deliberately chosen the common mode of living because they preferred it to any other. Yet they honestly think there is no choice left. But alert and healthy natures remember that the sun rose clear. It is never too late to give up our
prejudices. No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof. ....

I don't know about you, but I love this stuff. Reading these words strengthens me, reminds me about what's important and what's not.

And, silly as it may sound, it makes me feel proud of my lifestyle choice.

Every morning, I awake to hear the boom! of the cannon over at Fort Sam Houston, awakening the soldiers at exactly 5:30 a.m. Every night, at 11 p.m., I stand outside and hear taps being played. And between those two bookends of my day, I try very hard to live a rich, peaceful, simple and rewarding life without that hamster on a wheel feeling I used to experience in my Suit and Heels past.

Living a simple (frugal) life really is just a better way to live. It's work to choose this route, and work to stay on track in this American culture we have today (I was just called "crazy" by an old friend last week at lunch) but it's so, so worth it.

Go read Thoreau. I'm really hopeful that you'll share that Attaboy feeling that I found there.

Books on Simplicity Rising in Popularity (Though They're Calling it Frugality): Here's a Reading List

Over at the Salt Lake City Tribune, they're sharing an article written by Susan Carpenter of the Los Angeles Times, "Books: Concept of frugality makes comeback - Salt Lake Tribune". And guess what? It's all about that classic simplicity tome, Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin.

Yep, the one written about 40 years ago ... although it has been revised and updated for today's market. Of course, they're confusing frugality and simplicity: leading a simple life is a lifestyle that is far from lack (which the term "frugality" might suggest). Simplify your lifestyle and enrich your life - simplicity isn't about loss, it's about gain.

If you're interested in reading more about living a simple life, here are some Simplicity books worth your time:

Finding Happiness by Christopher Jamison

100 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Joyce Meyer

Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World by Linda Breen Pierce

Living the Simple life: A Guide to Scaling Down and Enjoying More by Elaine St. James

Voluntary Simplicity, Revised Edition: Toward a Life that is Inwardly Simple, Outwardly Rich by Duane Elgin

The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Simple Living

Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic by John de Graaf, David Wann, Thomas H. Naylor

Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Approval Addiction: Overcoming Your Need to Please Everyone by Joyce Meyer

For more, check out Books to Read at Everyday Simplicity.

My Favorite Simplicity Posts of the Week

Here are some great reads for you:

1. Simplicity for the Novice over at HappyToBeAtHome -- Joy writes a great post on what simplicity means to her and her family, and how her Christian faith is the Cornerstone of this lifestyle (mine,too).

2. Realizing How Much You Already Have published by ChoosingVoluntarySimplicity. Pretty, inspiring.

3. The Weekend Round Up over at A Satisfying Journey Towards Simplicity -- Nikki's post is a fun, smooth read, and personally, I like the image of the chickens running around ....

4. Adele over at Simplicity has a wonderful post discussing the Theology of Work which is made even more inticing because she's writing from her home in Kenya, heading over to Capetown.

5. Nikki Painter's recipe for her Easy Tuna Mac Casserole, along with her description of being sick this past week, the family going out for Taco Bell, and a friend helping out made me smile - I don't like to think that simplicity is starting to sound trendy and even snooty, and it's great to read about other people who think it's hunky dorey to "break out of the box" and go to the Bell every once in a while (for me it's cheap, and it reminds me of high school). (I'm also gonna try that casserole.)

Site to See: NYT's Frugal Traveler Blog

Living simply means living well -- living abundantly -- and a jewel of an example lies within the pages (or screens) of the New York Times, with its Frugal Traveler blog.

First, it's much simpler to read the New York Times online than it is to purchase the print version. Cheaper, easier on the trees.

Second, Matt Gross, the Frugal Traveler, really knows his stuff. Check out his current Grand Tour of Europe on a Budget -- he's covering Europe over 12 weeks this summer, and on a budget of less than 100 euros a day (or 156 dollars). His average daily total thus far has been $143.53 -- not the cheapest vacation for some simplifiers, but heck. It's EUROPE.

On June 18th, Matt Gross was in Rome. He's staying at a beautiful convent (found at MonasteryStays.com); he's drinking 70 cent macchiato (yes, that is 70 cents, take that Starbucks); and having fresh, delicious Northern Italian meals (roast veal, zucchini, beer) for 14 euros.

It's nice to read and daydream about ... travel can be done, and done well, on a budget. Even Europe. Even Rome.